Description
Cozy, cheesy, and irresistibly satisfying, this Million Dollar Spaghetti Casserole layers tender spaghetti with hearty beef marinara and a rich, creamy cheese filling, all baked under bubbly mozzarella. Perfect for make-ahead family dinners, meal prep, or feeding a crowd.
Ingredients
16 oz spaghetti
2 tbsp butter
1 lb ground beef
3 cups marinara sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. Cook spaghetti according to package directions until al dente. Drain well.
3. Toss hot spaghetti with butter until evenly coated.
4. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef until fully cooked. Drain excess fat.
5. Season beef with salt and black pepper, then stir in marinara sauce. Simmer 5 minutes.
6. In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, ricotta, and sour cream until smooth and creamy.
7. Layer half of the spaghetti in the prepared baking dish.
8. Spread the creamy cheese mixture evenly over the spaghetti layer.
9. Spoon half of the meat sauce over the creamy layer.
10. Add the remaining spaghetti, then top with the remaining meat sauce.
11. Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the top.
12. Cover loosely with foil and bake 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10–15 minutes more, until bubbly and lightly golden.
13. Rest 10 minutes, garnish with parsley if desired, and serve warm.
Notes
Make-ahead: Assemble up to 24 hours in advance, cover, and refrigerate. Add 5–10 minutes to bake time if baking from cold.
Freezer-friendly: Freeze unbaked, tightly wrapped, up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before baking.
Substitutions: Swap ground beef for ground turkey or chicken. Cottage cheese (blended) can replace ricotta.
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers up to 4 days. Reheat covered in oven or microwave until hot.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg